BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan wants the local legislative body to enact an ordinance institutionalizing the city’s night market and to designate the perimeter of the Melvin Jones grandstand as the permanent site of the nightly activity.
The local chief executive acknowledged the significant contribution of the night market in the livelihood to thousands of residents, as a tourist attraction in the city and generating resources for the local government with the least capital outlay.
“We recognize the important contributions of the night market to the overall development of our city. We have to sustain the said activity even if there are petty problems that transpire among the vendors and the members of the Public Order and Safety Division which are immediately settled by the parties,” Domogan stressed.
He emphasized in transferring the night market venue to the perimeter of Melvin Jones football ground, the local government will provide sufficient lighting fixtures around it and the elevate its perimeter as promenade for the vendors and the public, thus, Melvin Jones will still remain as a football field.
According to him, the night market generates some P1.2 million to P1.4 million monthly from the fees being paid by the vendors doing business along the 500-meter stretch of Harrison road with the least capital outlay from the city.
Domogan underscored what is important now is that the serious problems before such as the sale of spaces by the enterprising individuals has already been checked aside from the putting in place of the rules and regulations to be strictly followed by individuals wanting to do business in the night market area.
He said the Baguio City Market Authority (BCMA) remains to be on top of the situation in addressing problems that crop up relative to the night market operations, a major attraction in the city.
The Mayor said the city government will free Harrison road from the night market operations once the perimeter of Melvin Jones is improved and the appropriate ordinance institutionalizing the said activity is enacted.
Some 1,000 night market vendors conduct their trade in their allocated spaces along Harrison road nightly paying P50 a night as their regulatory fee a week in advance with the City Treasury Office.
Previously, the night market was conducted within the premises of the Baguio Athletic Bowl but due to the overwhelming demand of the vendors for a better site, the said activity was relocated along Harrison road.
Domogan explained there will be no serious problem once the night market is transferred to the perimeter of Melvin Jones because people could easily adjust to the situation as the proposed venue is just very near the area where it is now.
By Dexter A. See
